The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has fired a warning shot at London over its 2019 decision to strip Shamima Begum of her British citizenship. The move sets the stage for a showdown between Strasbourg and Westminster on one of the most controversial national security cases in recent years.
Begum’s Challenge to UK Government
Begum, who left the UK aged 15 to join ISIS in Syria, launched her case last December, arguing the Government breached Article 4 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which bans slavery and forced labour. The ECHR has now demanded that the Home Office explain whether it considered Begum a trafficking victim before pulling her citizenship.
“The Home Secretary will robustly defend the decision to revoke Shamima Begum’s citizenship, which has been tested and upheld time and again in our domestic courts. The Home Secretary will always put this country’s national security first,”
– Government source
Government Vows to Fight, Conservatives Stand Firm
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood reiterated a vow to fight the case. A Home Office spokesman echoed: “Shamima Begum – who posed a national security threat – had her British citizenship revoked and is unable to return to the UK. We will robustly defend any decision made to protect our national security.”
The Tory Party is equally adamant, with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp warning: “She has no place in the UK and our own Supreme Court found that depriving her of citizenship was lawful.” He slammed the ECHR for pushing the UK to take Begum back.
Begum’s Legal Team Sees a Chance
Represented by Birnberg Peirce Solicitors, Begum’s lawyers called the ECHR’s move an “unprecedented opportunity” to address what they say were failings by UK authorities. Lawyer Gareth Peirce pointed out Begum was trafficked as a child for sexual exploitation and criticised repeated failures to protect her.
The Backstory: Who Is Shamima Begum?
- From Bethnal Green, East London, Begum left for Syria aged 15 with school friends to join ISIS.
- She married Dutch jihadi Yago Riedijk and had three children, all of whom sadly died in infancy.
- Her British citizenship was revoked by then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid in 2019, citing her eligibility for Bangladeshi citizenship.
- The Supreme Court later backed the decision, barring her from return to appeal in person.
- She is now held in the al-Roj camp in Syria, along with thousands of other former ISIS affiliates and families.
Jurisdiction Battle Looms
The ECHR’s demand raises big questions about the UK’s sovereignty on citizenship and national security. At issue: whether Begum’s human trafficking status should have prevented her citizenship stripping. The court’s scrutiny has sparked fears of a direct conflict between Strasbourg’s human rights mandates and London’s security priorities.
This case promises a high-stakes clash over the limits of human rights protections versus national security powers.
